Fake travel agent caught for Rs 31-lakh fraud

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 18

The police have managed to arrest a person, who along with his accomplice had recently defrauded a couple of Rs 31 lakh. He has been identified as Gurjinder Singh, a resident of Dashmesh Avenue. His accomplice Amritpal Singh of Khandwala is still at large. The swindled money and the victims’ passports are yet to be recovered. It was a Herculean task to get to them as they had provided fake identities to evade arrest.

The accused had an office — Global Advisers — at the District Shopping Complex, Block B market, Ranjit Avenue. The victim, Jaskirandeep Kaur, came across their facebook advertisement suggesting that they helped people get settled abroad. She, along with her husband and sister, submitted the documents sought by them for settling them in Canada. They took Rs 31.06 lakh for the same. However, in the end of December 2018, they abruptly shut their operations and fled without any intimation. They didn’t attend their phone calls. The victim knew them by their fake name — Sukhdeep Singh Sandhu and Randeep Singh. The police had registered a case under Sections 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC.

Harjinder Singh, SHO, Ranjit Avenue police station, said the police identified and arrested the prime suspect, Gurjinder Singh of Dashmesh Avenue. His accomplice Amritpal Singh of Khandwala is still absconding and raids are on at his suspected hideouts.

“They were identified with the help of their call details and pictures which were circulated in the area where they were suspected to have resided. The police are yet to recover the amount and the passports of the victims,” he said, adding that Gurjinder Singh was brought on police remand for further interrogation. He said both the accused used to change their rented accommodation after two or three years. They are said to have defrauded a number of persons. Further investigation is under way, he added.